Heroes
by Hikari Passion
Summary: Hikari knew that drinking seven grape cocktails was a bad idea. She had no idea how much of a bad idea it was until it would be up to her mare, Nicole, and her pyrenees, Smoke, to save her life.


A/N: I haven't posted anything on this account for a while, and after watching "Pet Heroes", I decided that Harvest Moon fit the show quite well, and thus, this story was born.

Warning: Blood.

Note: I know horses live for three years in the game, but I'm making a bit realistic with making them live a lot longer. Also, regarding horses, I've read various things on the internet regarding them, so some things may be off. Sadly I've never owned a horse, so I hope you can bear with me regarding some of the horse facts that may or may not be accurate.

Enjoy!

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><p>Heroes<p>

Hikari groaned as she sat up from her comfortable bed, the beginnings of a headache pounding in her skull. She had stupidly decided to go out drinking with Selena and Luna, and at the end of the night, had seven grape cocktails. The two women were nervous about their best friend walking home by herself roaring drunk, but the petite brunette had waved them off and began the walk to her ranch from Brass Bar. The woman managed to walk a few feet before collapsing near Harmonica Town beach, but when she came to, her loyal mare, Nicole, was lying next to her with her head next to her own. Hikari recalled forcing herself to stand up, and within an instant, her black mare had stood up as well, snorting and nuzzling her face in Hikari's brown hair. The young woman also recalled that her mare let her wrap her arms around her neck and the horse led her back home. Her best friend nickered at her and made sure she was able to get into the house before she went back into the barn and presumably went to sleep.

The brunette pet her Pyrenees, Smoke, on the head, to which her canine friend woofed and licked her hand. Hikari giggled and went into her fridge, pulling out some leftover milk from yesterday. Smoke barked happily as she poured it in a dish, and set it next to her bed. He began to lap up the milk with his tail wagging back and forth rapidly, causing the young woman to giggle again and kneel next to her orange tabby, Tiger. She meowed at her as she scratched behind her orange ears, and when Hikari went to the fridge, she began purring and rubbing against her leg. The petite brunette smiled as she took out a tuna, and then proceeded to cut it up with the cutting board. She set the cut up fish next to her cat, and she began to munch on the fish as Hikari walked outside.

The crisp fall air bit into her exposed skin, causing the brunette to shiver. She took out her watering can and started the job of watering two fields full of eggplants, yams, and carrots. Two hours later she put away her silver watering can, wiped sweat off her forehead with a cloth, and went into her coop.

It was loud as always, with the ducks quacking and the chickens clucking. Hikari took out the feed from the bin, and hand fed her four ducks and chickens one at a time, followed by petting them on the head and carrying them to the middle of the coop so they could socialize with one another. She fed her silkworms after that, feeling the headache pound louder in her skull and her vision started to become blurry. Hikari shook her head as she stepped out of the coop and went into the barn, chalking it up to her hangover.

The musky smell of the barn relieved her as she walked over to Nicole, who instantly pawed at the ground and whinnied quietly at the sight of her. Hikari leaned her head against her mare's strong neck, to which her horse chewed on her hair. The brunette giggled as she closed her eyes, the warmth of the mare invading her senses. She felt something nudge her leg, so she looked down, her eyes locking with the sky blue eyes of her one year old filly, Powder. Hikari ran her fingers through the snow white mane, to which the filly neighed happily and started chewing on her pants. The brunette laughed, wincing when the headache began to pound louder against her temples.

Nicole nudged Hikari, and the young woman knew that the mare was hungry. She went over to the feeder, and her black mare trotted over to her when she held some hay in her hands. The mare munched on it, and Hikari took some more hay out of the feeder, dropping it near her feet so Powder could eat as well. The filly ate some at first, but then she started to chew on her sneakers. The young woman rolled her eyes and gently nudged the filly with her foot so Powder would begin eating the hay again. Although the filly snorted, she began eating the hay again, but she eyed Hikari's sneaker every few seconds. The brunette sighed gently as Nicole finished eating her hay, running her fingers through the mare's black mane before wrapping her arms around the black mare's neck. Nicole responded by munching on her hair some more, to which Hikari sighed as the warmth began to invade her senses again. She didn't feel her grip slipping or her eyes close before she fell, smashing her head against a beaten up piece of wood. Blood gathered around her head as she lay limp as a rag doll.

Powder neighed and snorted at the smell of blood, and began to back away from Hikari while rolling her eyes. Nicole smelled the blood as well and was tempted to flee, but once she heard the pained filled groan of her master, she knew that she was injured. She whinnied loudly and pushed her head against Hikari's side, but the brunette did nothing but groan in agony when her head moved. The mare pawed at the ground with her hoof, galloped over to the barn door, and slammed against it until it broke with a loud creaking noise. Powder ran out of the barn, but Nicole went back to her master, nudging her side with her head until Hikari opened her eyes. The brunette moaned as red hot pain coursed through her skull, but she knew something was wrong when Nicole kept nudging her side and snorting. She pushed herself up, screaming at the pain in her head, and gripped onto Nicole's neck as the mare led her outside.

Powder was by the cheery trees, snorting and pawing at the ground, but the mare knew that her foal would be safe at her masters barn by herself, since no wild dogs dare tread the area since Hikari beat one with her hoe. Nicole heard barking at the door along with growling as did Hikari, so the young woman whispered for the mare to guide her to the door, which she did. Smoke ran to Hikari as soon as the front door was open, sniffing her and barking. The young woman moaned as the barking sounded like knives breaking her skull open, and Nicole pawed at the ground with her hooves. Smoke ran in front of them towards Harmonica Town, to which the mare began her slow walk towards the town with her moaning master grasping tightly onto her neck.

Hikari's head bled heavily as mare and master kept walking, and occasionally the brunette lost her grip on the mare and began falling towards the ground, Nicole was quick to lean her head down so that Hikari fell on her neck, and with a pain filled groan, the brunette would stand up and continue to walk. The smell of blood invading the mare's nose caused panic to rise in her chest, but once a pained filled moan went into her ears, she knew that her master needed help as soon as possible.

An hour of slow walking later, Harmonica Town came into view. Hikari's arms slid from Nicole's neck as she fell once again, and again the mare caught her with her neck, but this time she knew that she was passed out and would not awaken. She laid down with her masters head leaning against her own, and ten minutes later, Smoke ran towards them, barking loudly. Behind him was Irene, Jin, Luna, Selena, and Hamilton. Nicole bared her teeth at first at the strangers, but once she smelled medical supplies, she allowed Jin near Hikari. The doctor pressed a cloth against the brunette's head, and Irene gently coaxed the young woman awake. Pain filled brown eyes opened and momentary surprise was in them when she noticed all of the people around her, but she moaned as the pain increased in her head.

Smoke sat next to her, licking the blood off her face while Jin continued to assess her head. The licking tickled her, but Hikari didn't have the strength to laugh. She slowly turned her head and saw black, but once she looked up, she looked into the trusting black eyes of Nicole. She smiled at the mare, and blacked out as she felt arms lift her up off the ground.

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><p>Jin left Hikari's room in the clinic with bloodied bandages, dumping them in the trash. From what Selena and Luna told him, Hikari had been out drinking with them the night before, which caused the brunette woman to drowsy when she woke up as well as be uncoordinated. Kathy had rode Nicole back to the ranch, but once she returned, she told him of a bloodied piece of wood in the barn which he assumed was what Hikari hit her head on. There was also a panicked filly at the barn, but Renee had come to calm the young horse down while Hanna and Cain had come to the clinic once they heard what happened to the young woman.<p>

"It's unbelievable that Nicole led her to the outskirts of town," Hanna said with amazement in her voice, and her husband nodded beside her, "most horses panic when they smell an unusual smell, such as blood. A normal reaction would have been one like Powder, but Nicole not only broke the barn door, she nudged Hikari until she woke up, led her to her house so Smoke could come out, and then let Hikari grasp onto her neck so she could walk her to the outskirts of Harmonica Town. She must have known she would get help here, but it's amazing."

"Perhaps it's because Hikari hand raised Nicole for six years?" Cain offered, to which Hanna nodded. "Still, I never would have thought that the horse would react like that."

Jin wrote down some things on a clipboard, listening in to their conversation. He didn't know much about horses, but he did know that most panicked at the smell of blood or any other strange smell. He had to agree that it was odd Nicole didn't act the same way her filly did, but he was thankful as well because he knew that it was because of the horse getting Hikari to town that she was able to be saved.

Kathy walked into the clinic, saying a friendly hello to the three occupants in the room. "Renee and I managed to get Powder back into the barn, but Nicole refused to go and followed me back here. She standing outside the clinic."

Hanna and Cain exchanged glances, surprise on both of their faces. Jin, although he knew little about horses, was surprised as well. "I suppose their bond is so strong that Nicole senses that Hikari's hurt, and won't leave until she knows that she'll be okay?" Hanna hummed in thought.

In her room, through the buzzing in her head, Hikari could hear the three talking and smiled. Nicole was her best friend on the farm, and even now her mare refused to leave. She wanted to get up and reassure her horse that she would be okay, but the throbbing pain in her head thought otherwise when she tried to sit up. She hissed and laid back down, but a huge smile went across her face as she went back to sleep.

For six months she was in the hospital, and everyone in Castanet visited her whenever they could. They also gave her various trinkets and gifts to make her feel better, yet the best gift was a black plush horse that Luna, Candace, and Shelly gave her which greatly resembled Nicole. She hugged the plush close to her chest every day, and once she was released, waiting for her outside was none other than her mare. Nicole whinnied happily as Hikari walked out of the clinic, galloping over to her and nuzzling her face into the brunette's neck. The young woman giggled, wrapped her arms around the mare's neck, and heard a bark. She looked over, and saw Smoke running towards her. She knelt down and hugged the Pyrenees close to her, knowing that if it wasn't for the two animals with her, that she may not be hugging both of them at this moment.

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><p>The first time I wrote something without a pairing in it, miracle! Constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged as always, so please feel free to point out any grammar or spelling errors you see, along with any comments you may have!<p> 


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